Tag Archive for 'vaughn-stafford'
Last Saturday night the combined student choirs One-A-Chord and Crossfire joined forces with other church talents to bring a night of fun, food, fellowship and Broadway entertainment like Mt. Bethel has never seen!
The event started as choir students served a delicious Tapas-style meal to over 280 guests who bought tickets in an effort to raise funds for their choir tour. Students sang and danced to hits such as 42nd Street, New York, New York and Lullaby of Old Broadway. And if that was not enough, the crowd was thrilled to have Associate Ministers Diane Parrish and Vaughn Stafford each share a solo number and then nearly bring the audience to tears with their duet “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera.
Music interns John Brown and Matthew Sparkman provided a bit of comedic relief while Drama director Brittany Leazer donned a cowboy boots and hat and shared a solo from Annie Get Your Gun. The Kingsman were kind to add a spirited number from South Pacific and Youth Choir Director Suzanne Tucker even joined in the fun with a solo from Guys and Dolls. Sprinkled throughout the Three Act evening, several students were able to spotlight their Broadway talents with solo performances from Katie Hollenshead, Jenna Meredith, Samantha Rascle, Kevin Geiger, Savannah Perdue and a duet with Alexa Combs and Laura Shepherd.
The final number was a joint effort with both the Middle and High school choirs sharing “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray which was the perfect topper to the evening of tapas! The event was a huge hit with not only the students and the audience… but the Youth Choir Budget as well! Thanks to the addition of a successful silent auction, this evening of entertainment raised over $4000 to help offset cuts in the department.
With all of the food, music and excitement of New York’s Broadway without having to leave East Cobb, perhaps Mt. Bethel will make this an annual event!
Sunday, September 28th in Encounter we began a four week journey with the movie “The Bucket list.” It is a powerful movie about two grown men who are faced with the profound news that they have less than a year to live due to cancer. This movie has captured the thoughtful mind and tender heart of millions and opened up a wonderful dialog opportunity for us. I invite you to the table to engage in this discussion.
For Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, the discussion reveals a “Bucket list” that includes: skydiving, a tattoo, driving a Shelby Mustang, kissing the most beautiful girl in the world, seeing something majestic, helping a complete stranger for the good and laughing until they cry. We too will laugh and cry as we add our voice to the conversation.
The questions for this week I would love to have your feedback on are:
- What is on your “Bucket List”?
- What is the most majestic thing you have witnessed?
- What is the thing you have most wanted in your life? Please feel free to be as deep or shallow as you would like on this question.
- What would you do if you were given one year to live with no financial blocks in place?
- What makes life matter and last?
- What is holding you back from doing something amazing in your life?
Read Luke 4:14-22
As I read Dr. Luke’s gospel account of Jesus’ message and mission it is clear that Jesus was all about others. He seeks to preach good news, announce pardon, give sight, set the enslaved free and proclaim God’s year to act for others.
If we are to have a life that matters and lasts we will find it most powerfully when our agenda aligns with Jesus’ agenda.
I encourage you to join me over the next three weeks as we explore “Two critical questions”, “taking a leap” and “Avoiding the Unavoidable”.
If you missed last week (or miss a week in the future), you can always download the sermon via our Podcast.
Vaughn
Every so often someone writes a book that pushes our thinking and focuses the lenses through which we see the world. The book called “The Shack” has definitely altered the prescription for me. It seemed like every time I saw someone at the ball field, in a restaurant or sat by someone on a plane they were reading it. People who knew me kept asking what I thought about the book. For about a month I considered it a passing fad.
Then one day I bought the book and read it in two days. Once I pushed through the “Great Sadness” and the unusual portrayal of God it began to enliven my thinking and encourage my walk. In these past weeks I have again wrestled with what it means for God to be judge instead of me, for Jesus to be fully human and fully divine, and for God to graciously and painfully give us free will that results in suffering. The book shares some controversial perspectives on the Trinity and on how people view the church.
I invite you to join me at “The Shack”, Encounter, for some of the painful and powerful ways we might learn from this book in relation to The Book (The Bible). Whether it’s a gentle hug or a swift kick every one of us has the potential to find that these next two weeks may be just the visit with “Papa” we need. If you haven’t picked up a copy of the book yet feel free to get one at the church’s bookstore.
Vaughn
What do a chain saw and a tree log have to do with worship?
Preparation Pain!
This past Sunday at Encounter we saw the wood carver take a four foot long section of tree trunk and shape it into a bear holding a fish.
At first glance it looked like nothing more than a huge mess and distraction. The wood chips were flying and the saw dust was everywhere, but over time the image began to take shape.
So often all we see and feel is the painful gnawing of the saw and fail to realize that we too are being shaped by life’s circumstances.
How about you? What is cutting into the “normal” of your life? What distractions seem to be creeping in to make a mess of your task list and agenda?
I invite you to join me in rereading Saul/Paul’s dramatic story of conversion…Acts 22:1-16.
He had an agenda that was dramatically altered in this story. Maybe just maybe the pains and hurts we are enduring might even help shape us into better vessels for reaching the world for Christ.
One never fully appreciates the sunrise unless they have endured the long night of the soul. One best appreciates health if they have been sick and one never knows the peaceful power of hope unless they have dealt with the desperation of despair.
Perhaps the turbulent world we are living in with job losses, home foreclosures and broken dreams is the perfect place for Christians to share the reconciling message of hope that Christ offers. It reminds me that the best place to see the brilliance of night stars is in the dark blanket of the countryside.
Paul’s first countryside was Damascus…where’s yours?
Vaughn
